IS THE PROPOSED LOCATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION'S NEW ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING AGENCY DIRECTED AT MALTA ?

 

If you closely follow EU news, you know that the site for the headquarters of the European Union's newest creation, the Anti-Money Laundering Authority or AMLA, has been tentatively proposed for Rome. Although the official statement is vague; " The [EU] Council's position is partial, as it has not yet agreed on the location at which the new Authority will have it." New EU Authority for Anti-Money Laundering: Council Agrees its Partial Position, Council of the EU Press Release 29 June 2022,

 Given that there are other geographical areas of the EU where major money laundering operations are much more active than Southern Europe, it raises the question: Why there ? Perhaps the reason can be found in Valletta, the capital of the Republic of Malta, one of the smallest Members of the European Union, where rampant money laundering, corruption and financial crime rages out of control, unimpeded by corrupt local law enforcement, and spilling over into the financial systems of the largest Member nations.

The lead in the campaign to date to rein in Maltese money laundering with transnational implications has been Italy, due to the close economic relationship between the two nations. Links between the Sicilian and Maltese Mafia are strong, involving narcotics trafficking and other criminal categories, and it is believed that certain of Italy's intelligences services have a substantial presence inside Malta, whilst conducting ongoing investigations into Italian crime.

Given the well-known dismay that many in the European Parliament and European Commision have made known about the money laundering situation  in Malta, including the failure of its IIM Citizenship by Investment Passport programme to reject high-risk and even totally unsuitable candidates for travel documents that allow visa-free Schengen access to the EU, which it wants cancelled, placing AMLA headquarters nearby would appear to be a wise move. Therefore, Italy is the logical choice, both for operational and logistical reasons.